Page 30 of Wicked Villain

I’m getting married to this monster.

I have no say in it and, just like Danillo, he believes I’m Gabrielle D’Auria.

What if he finds out that I’m not?

Chapter

Seven

Lev

Iwalk into the boardroom of Devlin Maritime Holdings with my head held high, and even though I’m carrying a box, my gun is right within my reach.

Following closely behind me are my brothers, Yannick, and my guards, Roman and Konstantin.

Earlier, I wondered if taking all of them to meet with my estranged cousins was overkill, but now that we’re inside the room, I see it wasn’t.

Kieran sits at the head of the long obsidian table, both filling most of the space in the room in presence and in size. Joining him are his three brothers: Lachlan, Tiernan, and Flynn. Behind them stand their three senior guards.

We’re outnumbered by one.

Many years have gone by since we were all together in one room.

We were boys then. Now we’re men. The men in charge.

No longer do we have to rely on the words of our fathers. We make the law now, and the rules that go with it.

The brothers straighten and stare at us. With their dark hair, angular features, and muscular build, they don’t look that different from us.

We look like family, but over the years, the term enemies has suited us more.

They wouldn’t hesitate to kill us in a heartbeat if we made one wrong move.

And the feeling is very much mutual.

Today is about bridging the gap, but I accept that it may not happen and we may leave here today the same way we began. As enemies.

I suppose that would add to this week’s growing list.

Gabrielle’s face pops into my head.

My meeting with my wife-to-be earlier shouldn’t have been as fascinating as it was. Surprisingly, it was her fear, not the look of disappointment in her father that sparked my interest.

Those wide, large eyes. Her rosy cheeks that deepened in color when I got close. And her scent.

Yes, I smelled her terror. She was fucking terrified of me and trying not to be. But laced beneath that was the scent of her. Magnolia. Honey. Sweet, sweet innocence.

Almost hallowed and forbidden. The kind of forbidden that should ward an evil being like myself off. But it only makes me want to dirty her up even more.

I want to strip her down layer by layer until I reach the core and there’s nothing left.

Dangerous thoughts. It’s a fascination and nothing more. Women come and go in my world. Corrado’s princess probably has more of my attention than most because she’ll be the first to wear my ring and bear my name.

As Kieran’s stare hardens, I push the beauty from my mind. There’ll be plenty of time for her when I’m done here. This meeting is important and requires my undivided focus.

I keep my gaze fixed on him, although I know his brothers are watching me with keen eyes. They don’t trust me, but they’re curious to know what more I found out.

They would only have gathered here today because I spoon-fed them information they’d been desperately seeking and running into the wall Moretti erected to throw them off.